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ہفتہ, مارچ 10, 2012

ISI New spymaster: Lt Gen. Zaheerul Islam

Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam
was on Friday appointed the chief of the ISI by the government,
ending months of speculation about a third extension to
incumbent Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha whose tenure ends on March
18.

56-year-old Zaheerul Islam,
currently the military commander in Karachi, is considered close
to army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. He served as Deputy ISI
Director from 2008 to 2010.

"Prime Minister Yousuf Raza
Gilani has appointed Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam, Corps Commander
Karachi, as the new Director General of the Inter-Services
Intelligence," said a brief statement from the Premier’s office.

His appointment ended
speculation about a further extension to Pasha, who had been in
the post since 2008 and got two extensions after reaching the
age of retirement in 2010. Pasha is now due to retire on March
18.

Zaheerul Islam, who is due to
retire in October 2014, comes from a military family of Punjab. During his earlier stint in the ISI, he reportedly headed a section
that dealt with domestic and counter-intelligence matters.

In his capacity as the head of
the Karachi Corps, Zaheerul Islam played a key role in
operations by security forces to control widespread ethnic and
political violence in the financial hub of Karachi last year.

In the past few weeks, media
reports had said several generals were in the running for the
post of ISI chief, including Maj Gen Sahibzada Isfandiyar Ali
Khan Pataudi, a Deputy Director General in the IS and an uncle
of Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan.

Zaheerul Islam’s name is said to
have been recommended by President Asif Ali Zardari.